Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Among the autobiographies of great military figures, Ulysses S. Grant’s is certainly one of the finest, and it is arguably the most notable literary achievement of any American president: a lucid, compelling, and brutally honest chronicle of triumph and failure. From his frontier boyhood, to his heroics in battle, to the grinding poverty from which the Civil War ironically rescued him, these memoirs are a mesmerizing, deeply moving account of a brilliant man told with great courage.

William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country: A Life

General Sherman's 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Yet Sherman proved far more complex than his legendary military tactics reveal. James Lee McDonough offers fresh insight into a man tormented by the fear that history would pass him by, who was plagued by personal debts, and who lived much of his life separated from his family.

Lincoln's Lieutenants: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac

The high command of the Army of the Potomac was a changeable, often dysfunctional band of brothers, going through the fires of war under seven commanding generals in three years, until Grant came east in 1864. The men in charge all too frequently appeared to be fighting against the administration in Washington instead of for it, increasingly cast as political pawns facing down a vindictive congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War.

American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant

A major new biography of the Civil War general and American president, by the author of the New York Times bestseller A. Lincoln. The dramatic story of one of America's greatest and most misunderstood military leaders and presidents, this is a major new interpretation of Ulysses S. Grant. Based on seven years of research with primary documents, some of them never tapped before, this is destined to become the Grant biography of our times.

Mr. Lincoln's Army

A magnificent history of the opening years of the Civil War by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bruce Catton. The first book in Bruce Catton's Pulitzer Prize-winning Army of the Potomac Trilogy, Mr. Lincoln's Army is a riveting history of the early years of the Civil War, when a fledgling Union Army took its stumbling first steps under the command of the controversial general George McClellan.

The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower

In this classic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower the soldier, best-selling historian Stephen E. Ambrose examines the Allied commander's leadership during World War II. Ambrose brings Eisenhower's experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general's skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.

The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Part 3: Wilderness Campaign, Appomattox, Death of Lincoln (Unabr.)

In his own captivating words, General Ulysses S. Grant describes the Wilderness Campaign, the almost anti-climactic surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. His depiction of the most crucial and hardest-fought battles of the Civil War, the near-disasters, and the bloody triumphs reveals a highly intelligent, profound, thinking man. Grant wrote his memoirs as he lay dying of cancer and completed the manuscript only a week before his death.

Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography

In this detailed and fascinating account of the legend of the "Wizard of the Saddle," we see a man whose strengths and flaws were both of towering proportions, a man possessed of physical valor perhaps unprecedented among his countrymen. And, ironically, Forrest - the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan - was a man whose social attitudes may well have changed farther in the direction of racial enlightenment over the span of his lifetime than those of most American historical figures.

Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman

With a unique, witty, and conversational voice historian Robert O'Connell breaks down the often paradoxical, easily caricatured character of General William T. Sherman for the most well-rounded portrait of the man yet written. There were many Shermans, according to O'Connell. Most prominently was Sherman the military strategist (indeed, one of the greatest strategists of all time), who gained an appreciation of geography from early campaigns out west and applied it to his famed Civil War march.

Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee

In Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee, Michael Korda, the New York Times best-selling biographer of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, and T. E. Lawrence, has written the first major biography of Lee in nearly 20 years, bringing to life America's greatest and most iconic hero. Korda paints a vivid and admiring portrait of Lee as a general and a devoted family man

Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu

Like Gettysburg, Stalingrad, Midway, and Tet, the battle at Dien Bien Phu - a strategic attack launched by France against the Vietnamese in 1954 after eight long years of war - marked a historic turning point. By the end of the 56-day siege, a determined Viet Minh guerrilla force had destroyed a large tactical French colonial army in the heart of Southeast Asia.

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Written from his death bed, The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant are written by the most well-known Civil War General himself, Ulysses S. Grant. In a review of his life as a private citizen, as well as a general, Grant lets the listener know what a heroic figure he really was. Like so many men before him, Grant describes being pressured into a certain way of life by his father. He never aspired for a military career, but his father insisted on West Point Academy for his schooling.

The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Part 2: March 4, 1861 - March 26, 1864

Covering the pivotal years 1861-1864, General Ulysses S. Grant leads us in his own words from Fort Sumter to his appointment as commander of all the armies of the North. Grant remembers his experiences with the key players of the day, takes us onto the battlefields, and recounts the twists and turns of fate. Grant was a failed peacetime soldier, failed farmer, failed woodcutter, failed bill collector, and 38-year-old clerk in a harness store in the spring of 1861. By 1864, he was directing all the Union forces.

The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant: Part 1: The Early Years, West Point, Mexico

Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States and commander of the Union forces in the Civil War, tells the story of his life in his own words. In this opening volume, Grant covers his early years, including his time at the U.S. military academy at West Point and his service during the Mexican War under Zachary Taylor. Grant wrote his memoirs in order to rescue his family from debt and they were published as he lay dying of throat cancer. Today, they are an American classic.

The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville

The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I begins one of the most remarkable works of history ever fashioned. All the great battles are here, of course, from Bull Run through Shiloh, the Seven Days Battles, and Antietam, but so are the smaller ones: Ball's Bluff, Fort Donelson, Pea Ridge, Island Ten, New Orleans, and Monitor versus Merrimac.

The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War: 1848-1861

David M. Potter's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Impending Crisis is the definitive history of antebellum America. Potter's sweeping epic masterfully charts the chaotic forces that climaxed with the outbreak of the Civil War: westward expansion, the divisive issue of slavery, the Dred Scott decision, John Brown's uprising, the ascension of Abraham Lincoln, and the drama of Southern secession.

Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years

Originally published in six volumes, which sold more than one million copies, Carl Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln was praised as the most noteworthy historical biography of Sandburg’s generation. He later distilled this monumental work into one volume that critics and readers alike consider his greatest work of nonfiction, as well as the most distinguished, authoritative biography of Lincoln ever published.

Growing up in an Illinois prairie town, Sandburg listened to stories of old-timers who had known Lincoln. By the time this single-volume edition was competed, he had spent a lifetime studying, researching, and writing about our 16th president.

Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade

Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. But this is one of the clearest and most informative ever put into audio. As a commander in Stonewall Jackson's brigade, John Casler experienced all the horrors and comedy of the American Civil War. His time was not so different from his countrymen on the other side, with the exception of point of view.

To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World

To Rule the Waves tells the extraordinary story of how the British Royal Navy allowed one nation to rise to a level of power unprecedented in history. From the navy's beginnings under Henry VIII to the age of computer warfare and special ops, historian Arthur Herman tells the spellbinding tale of great battles at sea, heroic sailors, violent conflict, and personal tragedy - of the way one mighty institution forged a nation, an empire, and a new world.

Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam

By January 1968, despite an influx of half a million American troops, the fighting in Vietnam seemed to be at a stalemate. Yet General William Westmoreland, commander of American forces, announced a new phase of the war in which "the end begins to come into view". The North Vietnamese had different ideas. In mid-1967, the leadership in Hanoi had started planning an offensive intended to win the war in a single stroke.

The Forgotten Soldier

When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.

The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II

Celebrated historian Winston Groom tells the intertwined and uniquely American tales of George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and George Marshall - from the World War I battle that shaped them to their greatest achievement: leading the allies to victory in World War II.

Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877

The period following the Civil War was one of the most controversial eras in American history. This comprehensive account of the period captures the drama of those turbulent years that played such an important role in shaping modern America.

Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man

From one of our most acclaimed new biographers - the first full life of the leader of Lincoln’s "team of rivals" to appear in more than 40 years. William Henry Seward was one of the most important Americans of the 19th century. Progressive governor of New York and outspoken U.S. senator, he was the odds-on favorite to win the 1860 Republican nomination for president. As secretary of state and Lincoln’s closest adviser during the Civil War, Seward not only managed foreign affairs but had a substantial role in military, political, and personnel matters.

Audible Editor Reviews

In his own words, Union General William T. Sherman recounts the end of the Civil War. Both a brilliant military strategist and the controversial creator of the "scorched earth" policy, Sherman brought the Confederacy to its knees. Civil War enthusiasts will love Nelson Runger's performance. Clearly a master with vocal range, Runger makes this memoir an enjoyable listen. He modulates his voice to embody a number of voices and is at ease with the colloquialism of the day. For an insider's look at this seminal war, this audiobook is a must.

Publisher's Summary

"If the people raise a howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity-seeking. If they want peace, they and their relatives must stop the war." These are the words of General William T. Sherman, with whom "scorched earth policy" will forever be linked. In his memoirs, the Union general describes the waning days of the American Civil War and his famous march through Georgia, culminating in the capture and burning of Atlanta. With frank, forceful words, the listener is brought to the front lines as Sherman wipes out 20,000 Confederate soldiers and sacks Atlanta - and in the process boosts Abraham Lincoln's re-election campaign.

This book is a definite must-read for anyone with more than a passing interest in the American Civil War. This excerpt covers the battles around Atlanta and Sherman's March to the See; an amazing story in its own right. Sherman, for better or for worse, must be identified as among the world's first 'modern' generals and his narrative is clear, crisp and uncompromising. Unfortunately as an audiobook, this offering is anything but. The sound is muddy with some sections barely understandable. This is one story that deserves to be re-told

First of all, the title appears in the search simply as "The Memoirs of William T. Sherman." It was only after I bought it that I saw it was only one volume covering the Georgia campaign. That should have been made clear in the title as it appeared before I bought it. <br/>The other volumes don't seem to be available on Audible, so I'm stuck with an incomplete set. Grant's memoirs, on the other hand, came all together (although 3 downloads, they were all one purchase).

If you could sum up The Memoirs of William T. Sherman in three words, what would they be?

His real letters

Any additional comments?

The reading of the letters between Sherman and Grant make this book very real and personal. I felt like I was there on his staff when he was talking about the events of the day. General Hardy was smart to evacuate Savannah, otherwise the city would have ended up like Atlanta. Sherman was a ruthless commander but because of him and men like him, war is hell, but the actions taken are necessary! And the war has not stopped, just in a different place.

The audio quality is not good, but if you are interested in the American Civil War it is still worth listening to, as it offers an outstanding opportunity to peer into the mind of one of the most famous Northern generals. Sherman writes very clearly and logically, and without any evidence of self-doubt or questioning of his role. His words are easy to understand even if his actions sometimes are not. I came away with a grudging respect for Sherman, after hearing his appraisal of opponents and friends, and his reactions to the situations facing him daily as he made critical decisions about the troops under his control. Definitely for the "buff" though, as it is very detailed. Also this is only a portion of his memoir; and the whole thing is worth reading.

The period of the book includes only the siege on Atlanta and the "march to the sea"...one of the first American examples of total war taken to the enemy's people. The book is composed, largely, of correspondence between Sherman and other generals. Although he adds some personal opinions, it's largely about movements of the Army...boring to me. I plodded through the book expecting some good things later. As a career airman, I began to see the beginnings of a separate air force as well as the subsequent strategies of some air pioneers.